ZEW Press Release: Economic Outlook Improves Significantly

The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment for Germany improved in September 2017. Climbing 7.0 points compared to the previous month, the indicator now stands at 17.0 points. The indicator, however, still remains below the long-term average of 23.8 points.“The solid growth figures in the second quarter of 2017 in combination with a steep rise in bank lending and increasing investment activities by both the government and private firms are likely reasons for the financial market experts’ significantly more positive outlook compared to that of last month. Their expectations are further corroborated by stable global economic development. The German federal elections do not seem to have been a source of uncertainty. The worries about the recent strengthening of the euro has, for now, also faded into the background,” comments ZEW President Professor Achim Wambach.

ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment for Germany, September 2017

The assessment of the current economic situation in Germany remains largely unchanged. The indicator currently stands at 87.9 points, which corresponds to an increase of 1.2 points compared with the August result.

The financial market experts’ assessment of the economic development of the Eurozone has also improved, with the respective indicator increasing by 2.4 points to a reading of 31.7 points. In contrast, the indicator for the current economic situation in the Eurozone fell by 2.9 points to a level of 35.5 points.